Foam rubber soap holder



l Nov. 10, `1959 H. A, @ANCE 2,911,757 FOAM RUBBER vSOAP HOLDER Filed June 23, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR H FIPILET FI. Cl PINCE HTTURNEY" Nov. 1o, 1959 H. A. CIANCE v 2,911,757

FOAM RUBBER SOAP HOLDER Filed June 23, 1958 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR HFIMLET Fl. CIFINCE HTTDRNEY 2,911,757 Y p Y FOAM RUBBER 'SOAP HoLjnnR Y Hamlet A. came, New verk, N.Y.assignor of one-half to Michele Cianchetta, New York,` N.Y.

Application June 23, 1958, Serial No. 743,921

1 Claim. (Cl. 45-28) Another object is to provide a soap holder vthat stays ,put iin its` supported. position so thatit is .not easily .dis-

placed. Y

A further obect is to provide a soap holder that may Areadily begrinsed out and is therefore., sanitary.

Yet another object ofthe invention to `provide a spong'ious rubber soap holder that'is .highly resilient, durable and. ipo'ssessesffsnperior 'liquidY absorbent prop.-

A still further object'ofl'the Vinvention isto' provide a spongious rubber soap holder -that-is adapted to hold an surface thereof and when turned kover to ,hold the same cake of soap after being used and reduced insize .on the opposite surface thereof.

:san another object et the 'invention is to ,pr vide a spongious rubber holder'for a cakeofsoap thatisladapted v"to fit in any of the standard sized dishes or support for holding a bath-sized cake of soap.

lt is also proposed to provide a spongious rubber soap holder that can be molded from the latest synthetic foam sponge material in a variety of sizes ,with any attractive design hereon, or with initials, dates, names or hotels and United States ,Patent .30 unused or 'fresh cake of soap of normalbath size on one the like on either or both surfaces thereof, that can have scooped top and bottom surfaces with impressed die contours six or more at a time, and that can be colored in a variety of beautiful pastel colors to make it more attractive.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings,

and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure: f

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a soap dish with a soap holder embodying the present invention supported therein and showing a cake of soap in supported position thereon.

Fig. 2 lis a similar view but showing the soap holder turned-over in the soap dish and supporting a cake of soap reduced in size from use.

Fig. 3 is an Venlarged top plan view of the soap holder removed from the supporting dish.

Fig. 4 is a similar bottom plan view thereof.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the plane of the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a similar view taken on the plane of the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on the plane of the line 7-7 of Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in Fig. 1 there is shown a conventional soap dish 10 having a shallow hollow body with tapering side walls 11, 11 and tapering end walls 12, 12 and at bottom wallY 14, 'and being open at the top. The dish 10 is preferably molded of suitable plastier'naterial and is preferably colored lto make it more attractive. Of course, the soap dish may be formed of metal or any other suitable material for the purpose. v,

A soap .holder indicated generally by the reference numeral 15 and made in accordance with the present invention is snugly tted in the dish 10, the holder protruding slightly above the top of the dish. The body of the soap holder or retainer 15 is formed of foam rubber sponge material or may be'formed of any other suitable absorp'tive. compressible material. The body of the soap holder is yrectangular in configuration with flat Yside surfaces 16, 16, at end surfaces 17, 17, ilat bottom surface 18 4and fiat top` surface 19. The body is preferably l high, 21%6 wide and 415/16" long so as to lit in a conventional sized soap dish, such as the dish 1'0. These dimensions are that of the rectangular mid-plane of thebody whichy is longer and Wider than the top and bottom surfaces. The ends and sides of the body taper outwardly tothe mid-plane, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

A shallow recess or concavity 20, preferably substantially rectangular in shape, is scooped or cut .from the ltop surface 1'9 of the body of the soap holder 15. The recess has a atfbase 21 and the end edge walls of the ,recess are curved outwardly at their centersas indicated at 22 and continue laterally into straight portions 23, 23.

The long side edges of the recess are similarly curved out- V.Another shallow recess '30 is countersunk in recess 2t)v vand has a :flat 'base 31' and its sides. and ends .are shaped "similarly to the sides and ends of recess 20 having end curved and straight edges 32, 33, respectively, and having side curved and straight edges 34 and 35, respectively,

with curved corners36. The center of the dat base ofy the recess 3i) is formed with a diamond-shaped groove 37 thereby forming a diamond-shaped protruding frame portion 38 therebetween.

The bottom surface 18 of the body of the soap holder 15 is scooped out or cut to form a shallow recess 40 at the center thereof. The recess has zig-zag shaped grooves 41 formed therein thereby forming small diamond-shaped supporting portions 42 disposed end to `end. The diamond-shaped portions 42 have concaved upper surfaces 43. Y

In use, the soap holder 15 is tted in the soap dish 10 with its top surface protruding thereabove.Y A cake of soap 45 of conventional bath size is placed in the recess 20 as shown in Figs. l and 5. The cake of soap may be oval, oblong or of other suitable shape. When so placed and disposed, the cake of soap is supported on the'flat bases and edge walls of the recesses 20, 3l) and on the upper surface of the diamond-shaped frame portion 3S as shown in Fig. 5. The arrangement of the flat bases and edge walls of the recesses and the surface of the diamondshaped frame portion 38 is such as to fit and accommodate the curved body portion of the cake of soap 45 and support the cake above the holder or retainer 15 as shown in Fig. 5. The flat bases and diamond-shaped frame portion 38 cushion the cake of soap, keep the soapy oval lines down to a minimum, permit air ventilation under the cake throughout the day and night, and facilitate evaporation of excess moisture.

When, after repeated use, the cake of soap'45 has been reduced in size and changed in shape to a small oval, it will be found advantageous to remove the soap holder 15 from the dish 10 and turn it over and reinsert the holder into the dish with uppermost as shown in Fig. 2. The worn cake of soap 45 is then placed in the recess 40 of `the"s`urface"18 disposed lengthwise therein and seated on the concaved supporting surfacesof the diamond-*shaped portions 42, formed in said recess as shown in Fig. 4. When the cake is s'o'supported, it is positioned above and away from the body of the soap retainer 15 so that the cake of soap does not touch or rub'against the soap retainer. p When so supported, the cake'of soap avoids the necessity foi" the high narrow oval walls and thin hollow soap liners heretofore used. Soapy water on the supported cake of soap is liltered and drips 'out'or seeps into the'su'rrounding area of the sponge body of the soap holder and is dispersedA evenly therethrough. When the worn soap is thus supported, although it is small in size it is still accessible, visible and easy-to reach. The zigLzag groovesV 41 permit more air to circulate below and around the cake of soap so, that nexcess moisture on the soap is permitted to drip, disperse and evaporate, and the cake of soap dries quickly.

The sponge material of which the body of the soap Iholder 15 is formed is susceptible of being colored in a variety of pastel colors so that the body of the soap holder can be made to harmonize with thel color of the soap dish or vwith the surrounding furniture and hardware found in the kitchen, bathroom and similar places. The improved soap holder can be carried in the hand from room to room -without a supporting soap dish if desired, and can even be placed on a wash cloth, towel or pad for the babys fbath, if desired, or can be left on the shelf or floor in the shower` room. The soap holder, furthermore, can be yeasily squeezed for rinsing out the excess soap or moisture yso that the hardware can be kept clean and free from hard lso'ap, scum and slime. It is also'to be noted that the soap retainer need not be discarded when its usefulness for holding soap has ended, but it may be subsequently used nfor a'variety of house'cleaning purposes as repeated use the lower surface 18 `thereof 'i --disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1s:

A soap holder, comprising a one-piece spongious rubber body generally rectangular in shape with flat top and bottom surfaces, said body having tapered side and end walls, the body having a rectangular mid-plane which is longer and wider than the top and bottom surfaces thereof, said body having side and end walls tapering outwardly from the top andvbottom surfaces to the periphery of the midplane, said body having a generally rectangular shallow concavity formed in the..top surface thereof, said concavity terminating inwardly short of said mid-plane, said concavity having an outer generally rectangular recess with ilat ends and sides curved outwardly at mid-portions `thereof, said concavity having an inner generally rectangular'recess with flat ends and `sides curved outwardly at mid-portions thereof spaced from and corresponding in shape to the ends and sides of the outer recess, said concavity having a diamond-shaped ridge in the center recess for receiving and retaining very small pieces of soap, said body having an oval-shaped concavity formed in its body surface and terminating inwardly short of said mid-plane for receiving and retaining a piece of soap when said body is in top s ide down position, and a rectangular soap dish having outwardly taperedside walls, at bottom and open top, said dish snugly receiving said body in 'topf side up and top side down position, the rectangular recesses being ladapted to hold rectangular and oval pieces of soap of successively smaller size.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Caldwell Aug. 23, 1949 1,404,730 Bandy Jan. 31, 1922 1,660,729 Strock Feb. 28, 1928 1,756,713` Vernet Apr. 29, 1930 

